i0 6 N a T fU -R a L H I S T O R Y
Here may we date the advanceipf the price of copper and improvement
of copper-mines 1 fm though this igentdeman. was frequently pitocKafer
o f the whole product, us well as ditedfor of all the mining «part,. ^ais
indeed he well defervedto he) and by this means .could the better, and
notunjuftly, conceal his profits; ye|il3hexopper cduld not hedfcwted,
drefled, and weighed, and fometimes feparately fold, without the
leal value tranlpiring in fome measure. By degrees the iGornifli
dreflers of copper-ore grew informed nearly of the value and ptopar
management o f the ore, and at prefent a. great many afiay lit. •
The copper being thus fold to the agents of the coppen-comfpa-
sxies in Wales and Briftol, is flipped off for thole places to he melted
and refined.
sEcr.xnr. The firft and greateft copper-mines which have turned put Con*-
theh^ve- fiderable profits within thefe forty years, are the following:
nuesyetim- Chace-water, in the parifli of Kenwyn ,(a) ; North Downs, in
proveable. g^ecj(jrutj1 . Hud-ros, in St. Agnes (c) ; Rolkaer and Huel-kitty,
in Camborn (d) ; Huel-fortune, in Ludgv^. the Pool, in fflo-r
gan ( f ) ; Dalcooth, Bullen-garden, Entral, .Longdofe, an Cam-
bom ( g ) ; Metal works, in Gwenap (b) ; Trejeuvyan, in Gwenap. (f)»;
Binner Downs and Clowance Downs, in Crowan (1) 5 Huel-cock
and Rofinoran, m St. Juft (/); and Herland mine, m Gwineajr * !
But the greateft and moft hidden gain produced by any copper^work
which I have yet heard off, and as for as the memory of man meaches,
was that of Huel-vhgin, in the parifli o f Gwenap, in July and A ch
guft 1757. In the firft fortnight’s working, it threw up copper
fold for five thouland feven hundred pounds; in the next three
weeks and two days, as much copper as fold for nine thouland fix
hundred pounds : to raife the firft-mentioned quantity, itT-coft ,the
adventurers no more than one hundred pounds; to raife the fecond,
a trifle more in proportion to the quantity.
All thefe either are or have been of late years very profitable,
works; and befides the many thoufand pounds annually, returned to
the Lords, (their dues being generally one fifth part of the whole
produce clear of all expence, never left than one eighth, clear) great
fortunes have been railed to adventurers, and there are feveral other
gainful though lefs considerable mines now in working, fo that the
annual income to the county from copper equals very nearly at
Lords of the Soil are
(a) Lord Vilcoont Falmouth.
(b) Sir John St. Aubyn, Baronet, and John
Nance, E%
M Thomas Heyes,. Elq;
(d) Samuel Percival, E<q; late Sir William
Bendarves, Knight,
(e) Earl of Godolpbin.
0^) Francis Ballet, Elq; H. Mackworth Praed
Elq; Mr. Abel Alcove.
(g) Francis Ballet, Elq;"
(h) Fraticis Beauchamp, Efq;
(<) Hugh Rogers, Efq;
\k) Sir J. 'St. Aubyn, Baronet.
(/) J. tJfttck, Efq;
* James Bullcr, Elq; the late Robert Hoblyn,
Efq; Mr. Abel Angove.
prefent
' . O C O R N 'W À L L. 2$?
prefent that 'of' fin, îrb é r i| réompufe'd ” thdt, 'forfptirteen years laft
jm t, the copjpM o f’ ïhis ro3$hfy has produced-eaflî, -Oney&d tâth
nfte othdr,- toW a rh o n n t-d ff^ hundred and -fixity thoufend pounds.
Uhis is*ap hkppy 'âddMori made’'’within ‘thefe forty 'dr fifty Vein's
Uo the revenue ^T'fiiis eorinty'; -and what'the Gdmifh
^gdrftleftifen h a ^M W ’to ebnfiddf is,‘whether bdfh mayndt cdfily bfe
<ftill iqip^ôvedEwi ?*¥*!*&> % r ‘ ■* ’ ; . .
TSfe 2 f B j | ^hlch tfrey%alh ïheir bdppéf 'Wfe, hks 'bèdfi se c t. xiv.
-lately expdrieUc|ff by àn mgenïéfus-ffdreigrler ° {to rhake ks gdod Blue
-vltriOMs the worid, 'which appears ffdïriUfre Vitridl mkridfaferife
lately c a rrié d ^ -a t Reddrtith -, 'fott ihefè is ftffl driother, /and more
^ o fr td b le u fe |6 - be Agde- of the fame. The differ Hvhifcb dOrifes
^ ~tê>' in -foafte
^Bfehq^lHhe adit)’Whereas it is fo ‘ftrongly impregnated with‘cbppër,
■ àMé Middle theforé^lt Wasjcdlleéted carefûlîy, -àhd dèfaîrted ïn pr&-
per receptacles ’and pits, did 'pidèdH rif irbh teight be fttoftieifed ih
Sreat àdvaritage,* ïfttt fherâb^ a ‘quarithy df malîcaldè
copper might be obtained ^iéîodt hazardfor attebdahce, dr dther
eoift’ thfo that bPthe moft jffdkfs old iron. When the water is
ftrongly iinpregnâ^èd, t lÉ ^ l a n ^ is ufüaÉy 'quidk, arid performed
in fourteen days ; ‘but i f a rrhich lattger fpacé oFtiirfe was teqUired, the
demurrage will foe w e l xeqtntdd. The (a^erimeh't has Been tried by
W. Lefobrij Efq.; o f Truro, and with fntcefs : I hâve alfo a ^jecameà
è f ore precipitated in the ;copper-mine of Trewan in St! Aghes, and
f e e is fc^rce any copper-mini' but will hàvte ihè àmeWéta • and
die goei mây be efthriated in foftic me ttre *by ’a cafoukrion tnade
at the coppeMtiines df Aiklow ih Ireland, whdre || 'die ton‘of iron-
bars immerfed ih die adit in twelve months trine produces one ton
■ and nineteëà hundred and a half weight o f copper-mud, dr düft;
riow, each tori weight df mud, when melted, produced fixteeh
hundred Weight df thé püreft copper, felling, at ten pounds per ton
more than the copper made o f the orep. In thefe mints the proprietors
had at one time five hundred tons d f iron, and might With
propoiftionable advantage1 lave laid in as many tkfofehds. Thé
fofteft irbn is beft ; the pits ten feet long, four wide, and tight detp1;
the fides faced up With ftont and lime, with wooden beàihs acirbls
the pits to reft the iron bars upon : thains df thtfe pits ate continued
along the flream as for as flic dileTtbrs pltafe,' for the Water
never abates its quality 7 ’ It is not every ftfeam which cornes from
n Letter from William Ltmon, Efq; to the au- p Philofophical Tranfaflions for 1751. page
thoiy January 12,. r.758. : .502. . ,
*° Mr. Rouby of Plymouth, k 1 Ibid.
a copper